Sunday, May 3, 2009

Roasted Tomatoes




Whole Foods, of all places, has tomatoes on sale for 2 lbs for a $1. These are not the most flavorful tomatoes but they are pretty good. Whenever I get a bunch of tomatoes that are not the best for eating raw, I roast them. Oven roasting tomatoes at a low temperature for a few hours causes them to caramelize and intensifies the flavor. I serve them as an antipasto with olives and fresh basil. They are also great on sandwiches and salads.

Oven roasted tomatoes require little prep time but do cook for about 3 hours. Pre-heat oven to 250 (300 degrees if your oven doesn't go down to 250 degrees). Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a foil covered baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a tiny bit of sugar (sugar helps the caramelization but doesn't make them sweet). Bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until tomatoes are still soft but are starting to shrivel.



I left the seeds and juice in my tomatoes before baking but many people remove the seeds and juice first. If you plan to use the tomatoes on sandwiches or don't want them too juicy then remove the seeds and juice first by scooping it out of each tomato half. Use the juice and seeds in soup or a veggie smoothie.



3 comments:

  1. I love roasting tomatoes. For all kinds of recipes. Just wanted to say Hi because we're moving to LA soon. Can't wait to be able to eat at RFD.

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  2. Hi Karina, I do like RFD but my favorite vegan food is at Native Foods. A great gluten free place to consider is Shamshiri Grill, a Persian restaurant with lots of vegan and gluten free options (omnivores love it too). I checked out your blog and love it. I am trying one of your recipes today!

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  3. I can't wait until tomato come into season so I can roast roast tomatoes in quantity. They taste so great and make tomato sauces more delicious.

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